Instability
by Mardigraskit
Summary: S.T.O.R.M. soldiers are not born. They are made. Lesson one, there is no such thing as fear.
1. Raindrops

_**If there is one emotion a soldier must never feel, it is **__**fear**__**.**_

**Chapter One**

_Raindrops_

* * *

It was raining.

The soft droplets tapping against the back window...

The sound of thunder rumbling like drums across the faraway sky...

The gentle shift of the trees along the road...

The sway of the H-Tram as it rolled along the dirt path..It was almost calming, inside the lonely back capsule of the S.T.O.R.M. vehicle. There was plenty of room to move around, and a bed made out of the comfortable cushion where soldier upon solder had sat before. There was a light on either side of the wall, and would be on, if the driver in the front hadn't neglected to switch them back on after a bump over an hour before.

Other than the rare cracks of lightning in the sky of black overhead, the containment area was dark.

"Sir.."

A quiet voice spoke in the dark, near the front of the capsule. It was more like a squeak than anything, one soft tap on the window from the crying clouds outside.

"Sir..it's very cold in here."

The voice, louder, was accompanied by the wrapping sound of a hand scraping against a metallic door.

There was no answer.

_Guess he didn't hear me_, the one who had spoken thought to herself, tensing slightly as her ears adjusted to the noise outside. Rain was crashing down on the windows that made up the back doors, much taller than she could dream of being at this age. Her feet dragged across the steel ground underneath her, a hand brushing against what she hoped was the bar that made up the right seating area. The bar was cold, and at the gentle brush of her finger, her entire arm trembled. The sound of the storm outside was deafening, and her other hand raised to touch her ear as if it would soothe the ache.

The truck bounced and lurched forward as it passed over yet another bump, a squeal echoing in the darkness as she was sent to her knees from the unexpected obstacle.

A hiss escaped her lips, teeth grinding together as she forced herself into a sitting position. As the vehicle rumbled and regained composure, her body was sent across the tram, unaware of where exactly in the unit she was. Light had left the unit when the lightning finally came to a blinding halt around twenty minutes before, and ever since the tram had been cascaded in utter black. Only by memorizing the layout of the car and being able to put her hands on the left seat railing gave her any indication that she had switched sides.

Outside, lightning crackled in the distance, every cloud turning silver for the moments that followed until it passed.

_I hate the rain.._

A soft shiver passed through her spine as she steadily raised herself to stand once more. By the time the drive had come to an end, her uniform would be caked in holes from the sharp edges of rails she had slammed into, which she knew had at least cut into her left knee once since boarding the tram hours before.

How long had it been...

_How long have I been in here?_

_Guess that depends what time it is._

The young female checked her wrist for the time, the grim realization she had yet to buy another watch resonating only when she wasn't greeted by the faint light. Her watch had broken earlier that day [_or was it yesterday, maybe two days ago?_] and she hadn't the chance to leave on her own before being picked up at dusk. When the commander said dusk, he meant as soon as the sky gave any hint of a hue other than bright blue as the sun began to set.

Walking across _again_ wasn't as difficult, now that she took one step at a time to make sure she was balanced. Step by step, she reached the locked doors that would, in the morning, swing outwards and allow her freedom once more... Right into the hands of **Commandant Marshall Charlemagne**, who, from tomorrow, would be supervising her entire training course for the next three years.

A small hand briefly touched the glass, hesitantly tapping the window before resting the entirety of her palm against the cool barrier to the outside world. Stepping closer, her face came into the reflection, her cheek pressing softly against the glass. Her eyes ached as she searched her reflection, blinking as a dark green iris stared back at her.

_You have your mother's eyes. So bright and curious.._

She vaguely remembered the sound of a man greeting her, all those years ago. A large man greeting her parents, the sound of her little brother's bubbling laughter, the endless display of animals and minerals she had yet to understand..

_Mother would not approve of this... her only daughter, a soldier.._

Her hand was joined by its opposite, her eyes beginning to shut as the ferocity of heartache stretched across her chest.

_If she and father were still..._

Her hands clenched awkwardly against the glass, sliding and squeaking as her fingers curled into a fist. Pain rippled across her forehead as the memories flooded back, her sleeve creasing against her neck as her shoulder pressed to the metal beneath the window.

_Joining the organization that caused you to leave..Aren't you proud?_

Her head was swimming, her upper body swaying as her vision blurred. Down the door she slid, arms folding over her head in an attempt to resist the dizziness that shrouded her thoughts. Her legs squeaked against the floor as she came into a kneeling position, guarded by the right seating area, with her hands entangled in her hair and eyes squinted shut as the pain continued to spread. Her whole head tossed and her lips quivered in an attempt to stop the trembling of her entire body. Her heartbeat drummed in her ears, echoing louder... and louder..

She could still hear the thunder, the sound of glass window panes shattering and scattering across the forest floor, walls caving in as energy burst from within..

The sudden jolt of rolling onto her side did nothing to distract her unwavering agony, her entire body trembling as she brought her head to her knees. She was curled into a tight ball, stomach contacting and earning a cramp that felt nearly as back as her headache. A moan rolled off of her lips as she desperately tried to distract herself, submerging into happy memories..But the memories of joy did not come.

_I can't breathe...It hurts.._

The explosion, hundreds of feet away...

Sirens echoing in the far distance, the ground trembling from the sudden explosion..

The realization she was alone.

"_No more, please!_" Her cry was not heard, muffled by the fabric of her uniform and the thunder booming overhead. The lightning could have been right outside, for all she knew, her ears popping at the sound and heart lurching at the familiar noise.

"_Make it stop!_" She screamed, sweat rolling off her brow and tears dusting the pale cheeks that glowed with scarlet pain. Her breath came in short rasps, throat dry and thirsty for relief of the sore tragedy riding her skin.

There was no waking from this nightmare, no warm arms of her father to tell her everything was all right.

No grinning lips of her sibling to cheer her up, no gentle press of her mother's hand against her cheek letting her know that the pain was only temporary..

"Mother..please.." Her tone was quiet, fearful, almost as if she had lost her voice in a few short minutes. The trembling subsided, but her pale cheeks were now covered in two flowing rivers of tears. As quick as they came, the tears slowed, dripping onto the floor in their own rhythmic pattern. Her fingers traced her knees as she curled herself tighter, hands locking around her ankles and forehead pressed to her knees.

_Make it go away.._

Silence cleared the room.

She wasn't quite sure how long she laid there, her breath slowing and the cold beginning to settle in once more.

_A soldier..lying on the ground...in a useless ball...what would Charlemagne think?_

It was a sickening thought, churning inside of her stomach. Even if the darkness blinded her, the image of her commandant was clear - whip and all. A whip that would be meeting her skin in the morning if she was laying in the corner as she was now...

_It's so cold._

The struggle was not standing, but finding the strength to do so.

The clouds weeping grew stronger. Crawling along the floor was easier said than done, her hands brushing against the steel. She stumbled like a blind fool, resorting to resting on her knees and elbows as her body grew tired from the struggle. There was no use in opening her eyes, other than assisting in gathering comfort and the courage to keep moving forward.

The tram shook.

Although she did lose her balance, she was quick to regain composure. Firmly, her hands gripped the stone, knees spreading to balance her weight. Her head bowed, bracing herself as thunder shook the truck roughly. Had she been a fool and not gained this position, she would have greeted the ground once more.

_I refuse to fall._

_Not again._

In that same rumble of thunder, her fear was gone. Out of the darkness of the rain, her determination claimed victory.

The tram settled - she could feel the pebbles the tires rolled over, swaying the back room and earning a frustrated grunt. Her struggle was not in vain - even as the cold kissed her cheeks and chilled her exposed skin, there was an upside. Her left index finger brushed against what seemed to be fabric, and as she rested on her legs, she concluded what the source was. Both hands grasped the fabric firmly as she traced along its edge.

It was the blanket.

Black as old leather with the classic S.T.O.R.M. insignia engraved into the center, she had tossed it aside earlier during the first hour of the ride. Before it had been raining...before she was unable to see through the darkness. It was comforting, almost...

She could sleep.

Pulling the blanket around her shoulders, her left hand reached out to the side. Her satisfaction was clear by the soft twitch of her lips - she had found the seating area. The least she could do was lay down, even though the idea of laying where other solders had placed their...

She shook her head.

Without much work, she found herself pressing into the deep gray cushions, the blanket stretching from her shoulders and leading further past her legs, which were curled closer to her stomach. The makeshift bed was so warm... It did not compare to her old bed, or the one she would be expected to sleep in for the coming years... No soft pillows her cousin would personally deliver, no brush of a family cat's tail as she read, no echo of the horses thundering hooves from below...

No family just a wall away...

Even if Lance was a fellow soldier, and would be one of the first to greet her when she was to exit... She would no longer find him down the hall.

He was a soldier... As she would be.

As the rest of their family was.

_We'll always be with you. We're in your blood._

_Liar._

Charlemagne's training would be rigorous. For the next few years, until the older woman was confident in her skills, she would not have a day of rest. Routine checks, tests of willpower and endurance, measures of her mental strength...Her fears...

She sighed.

She wasn't a preteen anymore. She wasn't an age, a gender, a child. She was simply a soldier. A dog of the military force.

This wasn't the time for that.

She had years to regret and doubt her decision.

But this... this was her fate.

Fate to be met with tired eyes...

Rolling over to face the wall, she pulled the blanket closer to her chin, squinting her eyes closed.

Tomorrow would begin her new life...

The least she could do was try and sleep, drifting into darkness to the sound of the raindrop lullaby overhead.


	2. Overcast

_**Your Commandant is your superior. O**__**bedience**__** is key to respect.**_

** Chapter Two**

_Overcast_

* * *

When she awoke, the rain had stopped.

It was almost an eerie silence to awake to, her head underneath the blanket and eyeing the empty darkness ahead. It had been raining since she had gotten inside of the tram, and possibly the whole time she had slept. She had expected to awake to the sound of something beating against the window violently, or the tram shaking from thunder, or the sight of lightning flashing across the sky...

Instead, all she saw was darkness.

With a soft huff, she lowered her eyelids once more, although she couldn't remember when exactly she had opened them. Silence was the best gift she could ask for, and she would need as much as possible for the next few days of training ahead.

But, for now, she slept.

_If the world has stopped...Don't wake me up._

The tram lurched forward at a bump.

The force of the bump sent her off of the seating area, her eyes snapping open and arms flailing wildly as she tried to move the blanket, but instead found herself with her legs tangled inside of it. She winced as her shoulder knocked against the metal floor, a silent intake of air masking her pain that blossomed almost immediately. As the ride calmed, she stopped moving.

Her legs were covered by the blanket wrapped around her, starting at the waist. Her calves were the only part of her body left on the makeshift bed, waist barely touching the steel framing. Her right shoulder was on the floor, right arm extending outwards with her hand curled into a fist. Her left hand was on the ground, side of her fist brushing against the cold stone.

Her body was entirely twisted to be in this position, and it was **not** comfortable.

She sighed.

"Good morning, world." She spoke grumpily, glaring across the containment room at the window of glass. At least she wasn't facing the damn window above her head.

The tram lurched again, and she fell forward, knees thumping against the metal and landing nose-first on the ground afterwards.

Now, with her eyes seeing nothing but the floor, she grumbled.

"I hate mornings."

* * *

..

..

When the tram came to a sudden stop, the girl had been sitting cross-legged on the blanket. The sudden stop spooked her, although she did not move from her seat.

Instead, she waited.

A shadow blocking light from the tram was what caused her to stir, turning onto her knees and pressing herself against the wall. Her hands placed themselves on either side of the window, first seeing her reflection through the darkness, followed by the sharp sunlight as the tram began to roll once again.

Through the window, she saw the world.

Walls that touched the sky, wires and fences crossing along the horizon. There were soldiers clad in armor-like uniforms lurking across the walls, seemingly between the wires, and others in the buildings that lined the barrier. Elites stationed at entrances to the huge buildings, H-Trams being driven in aside her own. The emblem of S.T.O.R.M. was plastered proudly across signs, doors, and the uniforms.

Something giant dashed past the window as they turned a corner past a barren clearing, one soldier on either side and each holding something in their hand. The figure that had gone past her window emerged again, from the left this time, charging to the center of the field and crashing with another shape with a burst of electricity and a loud roar that shook the vehicle.

The girl pushed herself away from the window, nearly falling off of the seat with her legs sprawled out in front of her and hands holding her in place.

_Monsuno._

For years, she had heard rumors of the famed creatures of the past. Andrew, during his studies, had come across a passage of ancient history - a telling of the six ancient tribes, a prophecy foretelling the future of the world. Six children, descendants of each of the tribe leaders, would one day bring peace to the world of humans and monsuno alike, or spell doom for the universe.

But the monsuno she saw fighting were not of legends and ancient history.

They were comprised of her greatest fears. And from their sheer size, they could crush her without a second thought. If the lightning didn't electrocute her first...

From what she had remembered, from the tales Lance had told her before leaving for his final assessment, training with monsuno was mandatory. Dangerous, and some were killed, others barely making it out with broken limbs. Lance had earned a deep scratch along his arm, which had fascinated the young twelve-year-old, but nearly made fighting impossible.

"Come on, shrimp."

The voice knocked her out of her spell, tumbling back even further off of the seat. Her back hit the floor for the second time today, earning a muffled grunt of pain.

She had been so focused on the monsters she had yet to register the tram had come to a stop, or that the doors had opened.

"I..what?"

Stumbling to her feet, the girl eyed the soldier standing at the entrance. He wasn't the same soldier that had driven, this man's voice was deeper. Beneath his helmet, two dark blue eyes glowed, his lip curled into a disapproving frown.

"I _said_, come on. Move it."

Frowning, the girl walked forward, cautiously placing her hand on the door. Her vision faltered as she eyed the ground below, eyes adjusting to the light. Her first steps on solid ground for over a day, by the position of the sun - and her first steps to becoming a soldier. With a small intake of breath, she jumped, trailing after the soldier as he marched ahead.

Her head swiveled from side to side as she took in more of her surroundings, mouth parting from wonder.

The buildings looked so much bigger up close, and the soldiers all the more intimidating. As they walked, more and more battlefields came into view, either elites or monsuno clashing as if wolves battling for dominance. Weaving in and out of the many areas between buildings, she could only imagine how large this training camp was, or where it led to. Of course, she would find out over the next few years, but the sheer thought of this entire facility being one of hundreds...

"We're here."

Once again, she had lost herself in her thoughts and disappeared into her own world.

She was dumbstruck when she stepped out from behind the soldier, staring at the field ahead.

The two had weaved through a series of buildings to reach this spot, which was surrounded by trucks with partially closed doors. The field was full of dust, the entire ground coated in sand. There were markings on the ground much too dark to be footprints, and too messy to be tire tracks. The area opened up to be over a football field across,from what she could guess, and the more she walked it just seemed to get bigger.

Center field, a group stood.

"Go." The rough voice of the soldier, accompanied by the glances of the group ahead, alerted the girl the time for moving had come. Summoning her courage, the female rolled her shoulders, stepping forward to greet those who awaited her arrival.

She stumbled.

_Ouch!_

Wincing, the girl recovered from her near-fall, brushing off her solid black pants and rolling her right ankle awkwardly. Thankfully, those in the center field did not notice her fall, as another figure had joined the line up of three, rounding them to four with another two being walked over from the north exit. She would be seventh in line.

"I'm coming," The collar of her uniform muffled her voice as she looked down at what she could have possibly tripped on, an inaudible gasp escaping her.

Only one species was big enough to make a mark in the ground this deep and dark, spreading twice her size and hooked near the south as if claws had dug into the sand.

She was standing in a monsuno footprint.

_Oh god, oh god..._

Her breath caught just past her lips, she quickened her pace, nearly running into one of the people in the line.

Thankfully, with a small mumble and a step to the right, there was now a place for her in line. Squeezing into the now-open space, she exhaled, slouching forward as to catch her breath.

"You..uhm..." There was a voice to the right of her.

Shifting her gaze to her peripherals, she scanned the two figures to her right.

Farthest from her was a blonde. His hair was wild and stuck up as if he had a massive, permanent bed head. His hand was raised and inside of his lips, as if trying to get something out of his teeth. She couldn't see his eyes, as his hair was parted to cover the side of his face. He, like her and the other children, wore the classic black uniform of a trainee. There was a golden lightning bolt on either shoulder, as well as on the palm of their gloves.

The one directly beside her seemed to have been the one who had spoken. His lips were parted, and his face was turned to her with a soft glint in his eye. His right hand was raised to wave at her, level with his chest as if he was afraid he was doing something wrong. His eyes were a vibrant shade of gold, with hair a crimson red. It fell into a ruffled mess over his ears and down his neck, and the way it fell across his cheeks made him look like a lost puppy. His eyes were drawn back as if frightened.

Her tongue was dry - this was the first person of her age she had spoken to in months. It wasn't like school was worth a damn anyway, becoming a soldier and all - her education was over with, and she studied with Andrew at home. Who were these boys?

Her breathless response came out as a rasp more than a response.

"I...uhm...hello?"

The words seemed to calm the red haired boy, his gaze softening.

"You're...ah...hair. It's sort of...uhm...messy..."

Instinctively, her hand flew to her hair - wrapped in a messy low ponytail falling just above her shoulder blades. She could feel the individual hairs sprouting up in tangles, curling around her fingers.

The obvious mess of golden hair that she hadn't brushed in hours - of course, the first person she had talked to would be the one to point it out.

"Oh." Her almost silent reply escaped, her lip curling into a deep frown.

It wasn't like she brought a brush or a comb with her onto the tram. The blanket had been over her head for hours and she had moved quite a bit in her sleep...

The boy beside her noticed his comment had been taken offensively, and his left hand joined his right in a dismissive wave.

"No, no, that isn't what I meant! I...I..It looks...uhm...I..." His cheeks flared a color close to his hair, lowering his gaze as if he had been hit.

"It's fine," She responded, listening to the quake cease in his tone. The natural color returned to his face and his hands were now by his side, causing her to copy his stance.

Now at attention, she waited for him to speak again.

The boy was silent, gaze focused ahead of him.

Well, fine, she thought to herself, somewhat displeased over the fact she felt ignored.

The sound of someone breathing to her left sparked her curiosity.

The girl turned her head, observing the rest of the line.

Farthest from her was another blonde, lighter than his opposite on the right. His skin was pale, although it was clear there was a faded tan as if he was permanently out in the sun. His hair was sun-bleached it seemed, brighter and more defined than her own or the other boy's. His expression was bored, his eyes trailing to the ground and observing the ants that crawled along the edge of his boot.

Next was a darker skinned boy. His hair was neatly shaved around his ears and back of his head. He was taller than the others, and looked older in the sense of more mature. His lips were drawn into a creased frown, eyes narrowed. His arms were crossed over his torso, his leg moving as if he was squishing something beneath. Maybe an ant?

Closest was a brunette. He was shorter than her, his head level with her eyes. He had curly hair sticking up as if he was just crawling out of bed, one hand raised to rub his eye. The other hand held a pair of glasses with red framing, but something about the glass itself seemed odd. Foggy, almost, with the right lens cracked down the center. The boy seemed frail, his hand trembling as he pushed the glasses back onto the rim of his nose. His arms hesitated lowering, as if he was afraid his glasses would fall if he moved too much.

The voice of the boy to her right echoed in her ears, but it was an incoherent mumble. She turned to face him again.

"I...uhm...I'm..." The rest of his sentence was unheard, as another voice came from beyond the trams.

Peering over his head, she watched as two figures emerged from behind one of the trucks that was pulling away into what she guessed was a garage. One seemed to be the same soldier who had marched her over earlier, while the other was a child.

And a girl.

That fact caused her lip to twinge slightly.

Another female recruit.

Females were rare in S.T.O.R.M, even more so as soldiers. While most worked as engineers or scientists, many opted out of combat training as many were considered disposable pawns against organizations such as the underground battle zones. Those without extensive training against monsuno were easily defeated during expeditions against said zones, as nine times out of ten the guards were equipped with monsuno.

Recently, it had been decided children would be recruited at a young age for training over the course of the next few years to prepare them for the possibility of spy work or extreme monsuno controllers. Only after weeks of various testing and hours upon hours of supervision had the few children been decided... And it seemed only eight had made it through.

The new girl came to a halt just beside the boy with the messy blonde hair. Her hair was short, not cleanly cut, hanging in different areas as if she had tried cutting it herself with a pair of decorative scissors. Her skin was fairly pale and her eyes were slanted into what seemed to be a forced glare. Compared to the others, she seemed to be the angriest about being forced into this position.

The boy next to her raised his chin to be level with her eyes, as to block her gaze from seeing the other female.

"Did you hear me?"

"Uhm," So it was her turn to be embarrassed, having not paid attention to the rest of his sentence. Adjusting her right glove, she looked ahead at the building at the end of the field, refusing to make direct eye contact with the golden-eyed boy.

"No, I didn't."

She forced herself to swallow as she waited his response, noticing a familiar shape emerging from the building ahead. The soldier that had been with the other girl was now entering as a tall man emerged, a gray and black jacket lining his shoulders. He had cropped black hair and a small amount of hair on the center of his chin, shaved to barely line the area beneath his lips. His arms were behind his back, and he was followed by a set of four common soldiers.

The boy next to her didn't seem to notice, as he instead repeated what he had said before.

"I said, uhm, my name...my name is Faolan."

_Faolan._

She repeated the name a few times in her head, sounding it out and debating on how to respond. This Faolan seemed rather timid. If she said the wrong thing, it could be catastrophic. She would be with him and the other six for the next few years at the least...

"Faolan," She tasted the word as it rolled off her tongue.

"I'll remember that." She nodded, watching him out of the corner of her eye.

She could see a small smile.

"And I'm -"

"So, you eight are the ones Charlemagne hand picked to be her new soldiers?"

The abrupt voice caused the girl to jump slightly, watching the man in front of them anxiously. He was much taller than any of those in line, and the scowl he held on his face gave an air of displeasure at having to greet them. Many times, she had seen that scowl - including when she had been picked up less than two days before.

Captain Trey.

_Oh, look, it's you._ The girl bit back a sharp remark towards the man, bunching the muscles in her eyebrows.

The tall man glared sharply at each as he prowled and paced ahead of them, looking them over as if he was going to send whoever he didn't see fit back home. He halted in front of her, his dark eyes skimming over her drawn back features.

He did not look happy.

A wicked smirk formed as he continued his walk, hands behind his back and chin raised. He knew he was superior - and that these rookies would be unable to snap back, as this was not their place.

"Your Commandant is on the way. From this point on, you seven will be specially trained to be the next generation of high class soldiers. You will suffer through days of starvation and sleep deprivation, forced to fight monsuno and controller alike, and go through training for extreme conditions. You will be thrown into the bitter cold and dragged through flames. Your fears will be brought to life and your strengths will be tested. Loyalty and obedience will get you far in this agency. You will be expected to give your life for the greater good should the time come."

He halted somewhere behind the line, the four soldiers on the south side of the field.

She could hear his boots clicking as he paced behind them.

"Of course, you can back out now."

The girl bit the inside of her cheek, forcing a snarky comment back down.

_And shame my entire family? Fat chance, Captain Ratface._

She had come so far to make it to this point. Being a soldier, being a female soldier for that matter, was a high honor with low-class families. She was one of six to join the agency in her family. She would be the third of her direct line, and the first female.

One wrong comment, and it would all be for nothing.

Captain Trey circled back around to the front, not facing the group. He bore the same scornful scowl as he stood directly center ahead of them, as to where each could see him and not have to turn their heads.

"Good. You passed your first test."

A collective breath escaped the seven preteens.

"Your second... making an impression on Charlemagne."

The boy with the glasses hiccupped awkwardly as if he had seen a ghost.

_So I'm not the only one scared of training. Good to know._ Thought the blonde female, swallowing with some difficulty as she eyed the building ahead. The name of her commandant struck fear into enemies and her subordinates - truly terrifying. The click of her boots, the crack of her whip, the smallest twitch of her frown...

It was admirable.

Even if she was a terrifying woman, she was strong and commanded her troops with ease. She had them all tamed without even trying. Something about the woman was inspiring.

_One day, I'll be Commandant Marshall. One day._

The girl remembered telling her parents over and over as the days went on. It was a dream she held above anything else. The highest of ranks, she would settle for being a lowly élite, but being commandant marshall would mean she would have the entire agency to her disposal -

_"Commandant Marshal m-ma'am!"_

The three words sent a shiver through the preteens. One by one, those beside her straightened out of sheer terror, and she herself traced her palm with her index finger as if to try and calm herself. The last thing she needed on the first day of training was to break down... Although, how luck would have it...

"You may go now, Captain Trey."

_**Charlemagne.**_

Gulping, the girl dared shift her gaze to beyond the captain's shoulder. As the black haired man dismissed himself, the highest ranking member of S.T.O.R.M approached.

Her whip positioned on her hip, her head raised parallel to the ground, her eyes locking on the group in front of her, Charlemagne looked ready to strike. Three black and gold objects - _cores, were they called?_ - were along her belt, and her jacket hovered over her shoulders. Her lips were pursed into a frown.

The girl's head spun. Her vision blurred as Charlemagne drew closer, going to the end of the line and speaking something to the blonde. After a few seconds, she moved on to the tall boy, then bringing herself to the trembling boy with broken glasses. He seemed to have hiccups now.

_Calm down, calm down...What would Mother think? What would Father do?_

She repeated, over and over, into her head. She tried breathing steadily as possible, black spots clouding her vision. She could feel her body swaying slightly and her heart quickening its pace. What was Charlemagne saying? What if she was asking questions? What if she didn't know the answer?

What was she even doing? She couldn't be a soldier if she panicked like this! She had no chance! She'd break her leg, or her arm, or lose an eye...Or lose her life. She needed to leave. She needed to get out of this camp, this agency -

"Royal?"

The girl shook herself out of her panic, giving a small nod and an airless, "Yes, sir" as a response.

Her voice was steady, but as Charlemagne moved on, her mind shifted.

_Royal._

The word was so foreign, but now it would be her name. Every soldier, when entering the agency, would be given a field name. Each was unique, and simple enough to be remembered. Some had more to their name, like Elites. Her's was now Royal.

Swallowing, she straightened her shoulders, allowing the name to process in her head. She had been given the name when she had been recruited for training a few days before by the Captain, although someone within the technology area of the agency would be the one handing out names. Someone with more experience and creativity.

When she finally got used to the name, she wouldn't be herself anymore.

She was no longer a child.

Nor was she a girl anymore.

_I am not myself. I am Royal._

From the moment she took that name, she was a soldier. She had no choice in the name, but she wouldn't have any other. The name was strong, yet elegant - graceful, regal. She knew not what was to come of her and this newfound world of soldiers and monsuno. She never would guess.

There was one thing she was sure of, however.

It was her dream to be commandant.

And that was no longer her dream.

She now knew, this...

This was her _**destiny**_.

* * *

_**Wow, second chapter out so late! Sorry for the delay everyone, but I can say it was worth the wait.**_

_**Well...two of six chapters done already. That's an accomplishment! Thank you so much for the kind messages and reviews, they mean so much and let me know I have people reading my work c: I would love to hear your opinions! It always helps with further chapters.**_

_**Incase anyone is curious, yes, those children lined up with our protaginist are the infamous Storm Strike Squad. As well as an OC, who you will all know as Shark, or Carlos.**_

_**And this lovely girl is Royal, or, her birthname, Caroline c:**_

_**Ah yes, Commander Trey is currently Captain Trey in this. Looks like within four years he'll get a promotion.**_

_**Next chapter ::**_

_**Strength.**_

_**-Scarlet signing off!**_


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